Few things can have a worse impact on the efficiency and profitability of a business than poor worker safety. While much employer focus on the common factors like retention making sure that your workers are comfortable and happy by providing proper standing surfaces and safety concerns.

1. WHY ANTI-FATIGUE MATS KEEP WORKERS
HAPPY & EFFICIENT

2. INTRODUCTION
If your employees spend HOURS on their feet, their
standing surfaces play a huge role in the efficiency and
safety of your workplace. Anti-fatigue mats are designed to
reduce risks and optimize efficiency.
ANTI-FATIGUE
MATS INCREASE
PRODUCTIVITY HAPPINESS+

3. WHAT IS PROLONGED STANDING?
The National Institute for
Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) characterizes
“prolonged standing” as
an hour or more of
continuous standing,
or at least four hours
of standing per shift.
If you require this from any of
your employees, it’s important to
understand and attempt to minimize
the risks involved.

4. HEALTH COMPLICATIONS OF
PROLONGED STANDING
• Physical fatigue
• Leg and foot swelling
• Muscle pain
• Cardiovascular problems
• Pregnancy complications
According to the NIOSH, health
complications caused by prolonged
standing include the following:

5. After analyzing the results of several studies, the NIOSH researched
workplaces where employees are particularly prone to standing-related
health problems. They discovered that employees needed more freedom to
lean and sit throughout their shifts, and suggested ergonomic interventions
such as floor mats and shoe inserts.
ENCOURAGING MOVEMENT
AND CIRCULATION
(source: http://www.matcentre.co.uk/our-blog/anti-fatigue-mats-study.html)
FEET IN A STATIC POSITION SMALL MOVEMENTS TO POSTURE

6. ENCOURAGING MOVEMENT
AND CIRCULATION
However, it’s not enough to find a mat that cushions
your employees’ feet. It must provide a specific
amount of support and relief in order to minimize
health risks, and you may also need to accommodate
additional hazards, such as wet floors or heavy
machinery. Anti-fatigue mats meet a few specific
criteria in order to make this possible.
(continued)
*ORTHO 1 ANTI-FATIGUE MAT

7. THE PROBLEM WITH PLUSH,
SOFT MATS
Plush mats may feel comfortable at first, but ultimately soft surfaces are too
unstable for jobs that require hours of standing. Because mats that are too
soft don’t balance weight evenly, your employees must steady themselves
throughout the day by swaying and shifting their weight. This wears out the
muscles and the mat, resulting in fatigue and thin or frayed surfaces that
become tripping hazards.
UNBALANCED WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

8. THE PROBLEM WITH HARD,
FIRM MATS
Floor mats can’t be too hard either. It’s important to change posture slightly
throughout the day, because muscle movement keeps the blood circulating.
If employees stand on completely firm surfaces, their muscles remain
motionless for long periods of time, causing poor circulation. Blood delivers
oxygen and nutrients to keep muscles healthy, so when a hard surface
interferes with this flow, veins in the legs and feet tend to swell up, causing
pain and exhaustion.
STANDING ON HARD SURFACE
(source: http://www.brainshark.com/MATtraining/vu?pi=zI6zwnsv7z6Js4z0)

9. ANTI-FATIGUE MATS:
THE PERFECT BALANCE
Fortunately, anti-fatigue mats strike a balance between providing stability
and maintaining circulation. They are firm enough to offer support, but
soft enough to encourage small muscle movements that keep the blood
circulating. They also have enough elasticity to return to their original shape
after being compressed by weight. This responsiveness prevents them from
thinning out quickly, and it takes pressure off the muscles and bones that
support your employees’ weight.
STANDING ON ERGONOMIC MAT
(INCREASED LEG ACTIVITY)
(source: http://www.brainshark.com/MATtraining/vu?pi=zI6zwnsv7z6Js4z0)

10. PREVENTING WORKPLACE FALLS
Soft, thin, and low-quality mats may
also develop warped, cracked, or
curling edges, which are tripping
hazards that make it harder to
move around efficiently and safely.
To prevent this problem, anti-
fatigue mats have cushions that
are permanently molded rather
than glued onto the base. For
example, Hog Heaven marble top
mats feature an anti-static, anti-
slip combination of PVC and nitrile
rubber to maximize mobility.

11. REDUCING HUMAN ERROR
Industrial anti-fatigue mats also
improve safety and morale by
preventing human error.
Exhausted employees have less
balance and muscle control,
which increases the likelihood
of slipping, tripping, falling, and
other workplace accidents.
If your employees operate heavy
machinery or need to move quickly,
they must stay alert and depend on
a stable surface to stand comfortably
and pivot when necessary.

12. BOOSTING MORALE AND
PRODUCTIVITY
An employee in pain cannot devote
full attention to the task at hand.
Discomfort is distracting, but daily
pain is debilitating, and both reduce
morale and make it harder for
employees to do their jobs properly.
Anti-fatigue mats give employees the
support they need to put full effort
into every task they perform, and
prevent morale from plummeting due
to painful working conditions.

13. THE COST OF POOR
EMPLOYEE HEALTH
Of course, if your employees trip, fall, or develop health complications
because they have inadequate support, the decrease in productivity will
cost you too. To illustrate the financial effects of poor employee health
in the United States, Forbes broke annual employer expenses into three
increments:
$227 billion $117 billion $232 billion
Lost productivity due to
sick days (absenteeism)
or illness that prevents
maximum performance
(presenteeism)
Wage replacement
for sick days, worker’s
compensation, and short-
term and long-term
disability leave
Medical treatment and
pharmacy costs

14. SUPPORT EMPLOYEE
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Healthy employees don’t need to call in sick frequently,
and employees who use anti-fatigue mats are also
less likely to need treatment for chronic conditions
and injuries. When you decrease the stress on your
employees’ bodies and make sure they remain alert
instead of growing more exhausted, you may decrease
your financial obligations too.

15. ANTI-FATIGUE MATS: A WIN-WIN FOR
EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS
When employees can operate in safe working environments, everyone
benefits. Employees are protected from discomfort and health risks, and
employers benefit from higher morale and productivity. Anti-fatigue mats
play a crucial role in creating a safe working environment, especially in
industries that require prolonged standing. Make your workplace safer and
your employees happier with anti-fatigue floor mats.